The strange job Jeff Buckley applied for before he died: “He wanted a normal life”
Jeff Buckley suffered one of the most tragic deaths in music history. At the peak of fame, while eagerly awaiting his bandmates to join him for work on his highly anticipated second album, Buckley opted for a swim in the Mississippi River. Tragically, he was caught in the wake of a passing boat. Despite the calm that followed, he never resurfaced.
There were no drugs in Buckley’s system when he died – he simply drowned in a freak accident at the young age of 30. Despite speculation about his death being caused by suicide due to previous behaviours, like disappearing for days at a time, Buckley’s tragic incident was ruled as nothing more than just that – a tragic accident.
While he was alive, Buckley’s journey was anything but ordinary. Prior to the launch of his first album, Grace, he honed his craft as a session guitarist. His path led him to New York City, where he transitioned towards creating original music, which caught the attention of Colombia Records and culminated in the release of Grace in 1994. Over the subsequent three years, Buckley and his band toured extensively worldwide, promoting the album.
Although his music continues to captivate the hearts of many music lovers, Buckley’s death remains one of the industry’s greatest mysteries. While the details of his final moments seem relatively straightforward, many concede that there must be a missing piece to the puzzle. As per Buckley’s manager, Dave Lory, Buckley had displayed notably unpredictable behaviour in the weeks preceding his passing.
“He was trying to buy a house that wasn’t for sale,” Lory said, according to NME. “He was trying to buy a car that wasn’t for sale. He proposed to Joan [Wasser, Buckley’s girlfriend]. He even applied for a job to be a butterfly keeper at Memphis Zoo – a lot of weird stuff that was uncharacteristic for him. I think it was a yearning to settle down. He wanted a normal life.”
Buckley’s involvement in seemingly ordinary activities before his death might appear surprising, yet it could also be interpreted as a silent plea for help. The pressures of fame can be overwhelming, prompting a desire to retreat from the public eye and pursue quieter, more personally fulfilling endeavours, such as caring for butterflies—a slower-paced path with more personal rewards.
There’s also something to be said about Buckley’s aspirations for marriage and owning a car—ideas that resonate with the everyday person from time to time. Did Buckley’s desire to lead a normal life result in his tragic drowning? Or were the two completely separate from one another, with the singer dabbling in the idea of normalcy just as many other musicians do?
While it’s almost impossible to know, one certainty remains in that it was a heartbreaking accident; Buckley simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time for the first time in his life—up until then, it appeared fate was smiling upon him.
